I think this thread is a spectacular idea. You gotta have street smarts in Tijuana and I believe that speaking some Spanish is key for optimal dive bombs into the Zona Norte. I don't speak very much spanish, but if you know some important phrases, please post them. Fluent spanish speakers, this is your opportunity to teach. (Please only post if you know that your spanish is correct) thanx

Please correct me if I'm wrong:

I don't speak Spanish.
- Yo no hablo espanol.

Do you speak English?
- ¿Tu habla ingles?

How much does it cost?
- ¿Cuanto es la cuesta?

I don't speak Spanish = No hablo espan~ol (you can omit the "Yo")

Do you speak English? = ?habla usted ingles? or using the familiar, "?hablas ingles?

How much does it cost? = ?Cuanto cuesta?

dave33 wrote: "Do you speak English?
- ¿Tu habla ingles?"

Informal would be "?Hablas tu ingles?" or "?Hablas ingles?"

Formal would be "?Habla usted ingles" or "?Habla ingles?"

You can drop the pronouns if you want because the verb conjugation takes care of the.

"?Cuanto es?" would be "How much is it?

"No speakee Spanish" work, too.

I had a taxi driver who used a blue car and he spoke no English at all. He went on a long ass route from Adelitas to the Border. He spoke no English and it scared the shit outta me. I thought he was going to take me out the desert and leave me there or something. I couldn't communicate with him.

Can anyone translate this:
"Where are we going?"
"To the border please"

Also:
Hey Frontbc, what's the difference between the formal and informal version of "Do you speak English"?

literally its the same translation, but you use different pronouns and verb conjugations based on the person you are speaking to.

you use "tu" with people you are familar with i.e. friends or anyone you can be informal with etc.

you use "usted" with people you aren't familiar with, just met, or to show respect. i.e. policia, cab drivers, professors etc.

Personally, I rarely use "usted" with cab drivers. If I sit in the back seat i will use "usted". If I sit in the front seat with them then I use "tu".

But when speaking to the polica I've learned to use "usted". For some reason I'm a polica magnet. It's only been 3 occasions as of now. I haven't gotten patted down yet or had to empty my pockets, nor had any bad shakedowns with them, but they keep asking for my ID when ever I'm in the zona.

Can anyone translate this:
"Where are we going?" = ?A donde vamos?
"To the border please" = A la frontera, por favor

"To the border please" = A la frontera, por favor

Although the translation is correct in general terms everyone in Tijuana refers to the border as "la linea" so I would say A la linea, por favor.

In southern South America it is considered rude to say "metaselo en el orto pelotudo" when handing a fare to a cab driver...

When I want to be let out without crossing the bridge I use "La Linea Sentri, por favor". The sentri being the fast lane.

(Message edited by hacm on August 10, 2004)

How do you request a handjob in Spanish?

"Mastúrbeme por favor" if you want to sound educated.

I think "con la mano" gets the point across.

on the street you might hear the terms "puñeta or chaqueta" used...